The point is that there's no real precedent for criminal convictions of major players in a situation like this. So if Goodling remains loyal there's a good chance she won't serve time, even if she lies.

The most worrying precedent is the Libby trial. And it's not clear yet if Bush is planning a pardon.

Goodling is the lunatic who said 'I don't want them to have my fingerprints' after testifying. Unless she's been deprogrammed since then, her first loyalty will always be to the theocrats. All it takes is a quiet aside promising a pardon and she'll do as ordered.

Far from being a prize, she could easily turn out to be a Trojan horse for the testimony. If she admits that it was mostly her idea, she's now free to go, and it becomes harder to pin the blame higher up.